Anderlecht and Union Saint-Gilloise play their qualification for the semi-finals of the Conference League for the Mauves and the Europa League for the Unionists this Thursday. The two Brussels clubs learned on Tuesday which will be the referees who will direct their meetings. Referees who have recently been talked about…
Anderlecht inherited from Italy David Massa for his trip to AZ Alkmaar. The Italian was recently heavily criticized for sending off Romelu Lukaku, victim of racist cries, during the Italian Cup match against Juventus. After equalizing from the penalty spot in added time, Romelu Lukaku performed his usual celebration, putting his finger to his mouth. The Italian referee had then brandished a second yellow card, considering that it was a provocation, and had excluded the Red Devil.
At the Union, it will be the Spaniard Mateu Lahoz, which had caused controversy during the quarter-final of the World Cup between Argentina and the Netherlands. He had had the easy card and had drawn no less than 18 bristols, a record for the competition. At 46, Lahoz is nevertheless an experienced referee. He has also refereed the Red Devils twice, in the Nations League against Switzerland in 2018 and at the Euro against Russia.
In addition to the controversy, their designation does not bode well for the most superstitious. Both Lahoz and Massa have refereed Belgian clubs four times in their careers, with just one small victory. With Lahoz on the whistle, the Belgian clubs have suffered three defeats for one victory. On Massa’s side, it’s a split and three defeats, including Brugge’s 0-2 defeat against Benfica in the knockout stages of the Champions League this season.
